Distributor: Currently licensed by Bandai, also available streaming on Hulu.

Content Rating: PG (some mature themes)

Related Series: N/A

Also Recommended:

Notes: The movie is based on a two-volume novel by Naoto Kine, published during 1989.

The American release marketed it as a movie. But in Japan, it was actually on a limited theatrical release and for the most part released direct to video.

Winner of Best Animated Film from the Mainichi Film Awards during 1996.

Rating:

Junkers Come Here

Synopsis

11-year old Hiromi Nozawa is just an average girl but is going through a somewhat difficult part of life. Her parents are never home: Her mom always at work, Her dad always abroad. While she is a bit lonely because of the circumstances, she is able to get by since she lives alongside her nanny and one of her father's friends who also acts as her out of class tutor. Another aid she has in the situation is the constant companionship of her pet dog Junkers, who just happens to be endowed with the ability to talk. As her parents hint at getting a divorce, she becomes paranoid at the thought of not being a real family anymore. Join Junkers and Hiromi as she goes on a journey of growing up and learning how to cope with the realities of life.

Review

I think that ultimately, the movie really demonstrates the breakup in the communication process between parent and child. Hiromi, being so young, feels that she can't really discuss her opinions on such a strong and grown-up topic such as divorce. On the other hand, you have the parents who only want to do what is best for their child, but the problem is that they don't necessarily know what that is unless the child actually says something. This is where Junkers comes in. Junkers, even if he is only a dog, can really only be described as Hiromi's best friend since he's always by her side and listens to what she has to say. Junkers allows Hiromi to reveal her true self, the real Hiromi. It's something that she doesn't really know how to show to anyone else.

Her initial thoughts on divorce are not so bad, since in the current state, even though no one is necessarily "divorced" the arrangement is pretty much the same. But then she slowly realizes her true feelings with the help of Junkers and eventually comes to the conclusion that if her parents divorce, she is not okay with it at all. So ultimately it's up to her to ask for what she really wants and to reveal how she truly feels about everything, with her own voice. But Junkers will be there to help her every step along the way.

That said, I actually found the movie slow. I do like Junichi Sato's work, but in the end, I didn't find this as much fun as all the other stuff that I've seen from him. The character development is pretty impressive in that so much ground is covered in just 100 minutes. I also like how the seasons changed as the movie went on, giving a good sense of how time passes. But even with all this, to be honest, nothing really gripped me.

My short list of disappointments aside, I can't deny the actual quality of the message. While I probably won't see it again anytime soon, I highly recommend the movie anyway. It's a good watch and you take a lot of lessons from it. It's an excellent film for the family too.

Oh, and by the way, it's pronounced "Yoon-kers".

If you don't like slow pacing or family movies, deduct 1 star. — Dominic Laeno

Recommended Audience: While there is no objectionable content in the movie, the underlying themes will not be understood by very young children. Acceptable for all but the youngest of children.